There’s no denying the fact that parents in California have good reason to be concerned about their kids when it comes to certain aspects of technology. However, a new study suggests social media and texting may actually be beneficial for children looking to stay connected with their parents following a divorce. In order to come to their conclusions, researchers evaluated data from a select group of divorced parents with pre-teen and teen children.
The prevailing school of thought is that kids tend to adjust to divorce better after child custody and visitation arrangements have been worked out if both parents are able to remain civil. However, researchers found that it didn’t matter if ex-spouses were able to get along. Instead, communication was the most important aspect of the parent-child relationship.
After researching several common coparenting styles, the study team discovered that parents who communicated once a month or less with their children in any way had less knowledge about their kids. Conversely, relationships were better when the frequency of communication increased. Based on the results from the study, researchers recommend that children who are old enough to use cell phones and communicate via computers and social media platforms be allowed to directly contact the parent living outside of the home. A psychologist commenting on the findings agrees with the results, noting that children place a higher value on communication that involves interactions via social media and text messaging.
Even though child custody and visitation requirements can affect when children see the parents with whom they no longer live, there is normally no reason why they can’t communicate with phone calls, text messages or similar methods. If a custodial parent attempts to prevent such communication, a lawyer can recommend appropriate legal steps. In some situations, this may mean seeking intervention from the court.